Tim Cook Says You Can't Visit Apple's 'Spaceship': Here's Why

Apple CEO Tim Cook said there is no chance the Apple Park’s spaceship building will open its doors to the public. The policy is in place to protect the company’s trade secrets.
( Justin Sullivan | Getty Images )

What's inside of Apple's spaceship campus has been largely kept a secret, and Tim Cook intends to keep it that way. No visitors are allowed inside the building.

Apple held its annual shareholders meeting this week right inside the recently completed company HQ called Apple Park. However, the event was staged not on the main building but on the Steve Jobs Theater, also freshly built. Visitors were deliberately kept out of the mysterious spaceship, which inarguably is the centerpiece of the $5 billion-worth sprawling complex.

There is no indication that Apple will soon relax the strict security that blankets the spaceship building, and this was confirmed by Cook during his talk with company shareholders. The CEO said the heart of Apple Park is off limits and there will be no tours to open up to the public.

According to Cook, never will a non-Apple employee set foot on the spaceship, which was visualized even before Jobs' death. The company has a valid reason for the unpopular policy, he added.

Protecting Apple's Secrets

It's no secret that Apple is super secretive of its trade craft, which is why the Apple Park's main building can be accessed only by authorized personnel. Cook said there is no plan to open the spaceship to the public to protect what's inside, most of which the iPhone maker considers as confidential.

"The problem with opening up the main facility for tours is we have so much confidential stuff around. It's sort of the bane of my existence to hold things confidential now," Cook said.

His latest pronouncement is in line with the earlier clarification issued by Apple chief designer Jony Ive. The latter said the Apple Park spaceship was not constructed for the people and it will remain a private place as originally designed.

However, Apple is not totally shutting its doors to tourists. The company decided to build a center within the campus where there will be scores of amusement offerings. One interesting attraction is the AR experience that is packaged with exploring a scale model of Apple Park, which should serve as the alternative to experiencing the site's spaceship office.

More Updates

Meanwhile, Apple used the same occasion to provide bits of updates that keep the shareholders in the loop. The company said Apple Stores are not going away anytime soon as Cook is convinced customers still prefer actual interaction when shopping. He added that customer satisfaction with the iPhone X is as expected, boasting that 99 percent of users gave thumbs up to the 2018 iOS flagship.

Curiously, the Apple chief also touched on Apple's line of succession. Cook did not mention a name but stated that in the event he steps down, the next CEO will come from within.

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